The British Isles and the War of American Independence

Stephen Conway

This book examines a hitherto neglected aspect of the War of American Independence, providing the first wide-ranging account of the war's impact ...

The British Isles and the War of American Independence

Stephen Conway

Description

This book examines a hitherto neglected aspect of the War of American Independence, providing the first wide- ranging account of the impact of this eighteenth-century conflict upon the politics, economy, society, and culture of the British Isles. The author examines the level of military participation - which was much greater than is usually appreciated - and explores the war's effects on subjects as varied as parliamentary reform, religious toleration, and attitudes to empire. The book casts new light upon recent debate about the war-waging efficiency of the British state and the role of war in the creation of a sense of 'Britishness'. The thematic chapters are supplemented by local case-studies of six very different communities the length and breadth of the British Isles.

The British Isles and the War of American Independence

Stephen Conway

Author Information

Stephen Conway, Reader in History, University College London

The British Isles and the War of American Independence

Stephen Conway

Reviews and Awards

"Conway's study is well deserving of a wide readership ... This is a product, first and foremost, of his truly awe-inspiring familiarity with the archival record in Britain, Ireland and America, as a result of which he is able to paint a rich canvas at local as well as at national level ... Nuanced, insightful and exceptionally well written." - Eighteenth Century Ireland

"Widely researched and informative survey." - Contemporary Review

"Stephen Conway has produced an excellent and important book, one that is provocative and wide-ranging. His study is based on a comprehensive survey secondary literature. His research is impeccable, his writing fluent, and his thesis important and subtly argued - all in all, a model of modern scholarship." - Frank Cogliano, The Journal of Military History

"An excellent and important book, one that is provocative and wide-ranging ... His research is impeccable, his writing fluent, and his thesis important and subtly argued - all in all, a model of modern scholarship." - Journal of Military History